Franjo Krežma

Franjo Krežma (2 September 1862 – 15 June 1881), also known as Franz Krezma in German-speaking countries, was a Croatian violinist and composer.

Born in Osijek, Croatia, he showed interest for music in his early childhood and his talent was obvious in playing the violin and gave him a reputation of an authentic violin virtuoso. After moving to Zagreb he was taught by the violinist, composer and conductor Đuro (Gjuro) Eisenhuth. Krežma performed his first public concert on the 10.8.1870 in Sisak, at the very young age of 8, playing his violin with his three years older sister Anka (later Krežma-Barbot) backing him on the piano. Noticed and recommended by the Zagreb-born Austrian composer Leopold Alexander Zellner, he entered the music Conservatory of Vienna, Austria at the age of 9, as the youngest student ever, already then starting to compose, and completing studies before the age of 13, in the summer of 1875.

Having finished his studies, Krežma started a spectacular European career, still backed by his sister. He was already at the age of 16 highly admired in cities across Europe like Rome, Prague, Genoa, Paris and Venice. On 1.7.1879, at the age of 16, he became the concert master at Benjamin Bilse's Bilse'sche Kapelle, the orchestra which would in the following years become Berlin Philharmonic.

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